The aim of this study was to optimize the ability to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specfic cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals by comparing different assays (the lymphocyte proliferation assay [LPA] and assays for gamma interferon [IFN-gamma] and interleukin-2 [IL-2] production) and CMV antigenic preparations. Thresholds discriminating positive from negative CMI results were developed with specimens from 36 CMV-seropositive and 21 CMV-seronegative healthy individuals. The analysis showed that the CMI elicited by any of the four CMV whole lysates tested in this study tended to be more robust and sensitive than the responses to the subunit antigens gB and pp65. LPA and inducible IFN-gamma but not IL-2 were highly sensitive measures of CMV-specific CMI in HIV-infected and -uninfected individuals. The ability to detect CMV-specific LPA or IFN-gamma responses in HIV-infected individuals significantly increased with higher CD4 cell numbers. Nevertheless, the proportion of HIV-infected subjects with CD4 counts of >or=500 cells/mul who had a detectable CMV-specific CMI remained significantly lower than that of healthy adults. The ability to detect CMV-specific CMI in HIV-infected individuals decreased with higher levels of HIV replication, with discriminative thresholds of 10(3) to 10(4) HIV RNA copies/ml of plasma, for LPA or inducible IFN-gamma production elicited by different antigens. The LPA responses obtained with CMV whole lysate and phytohemagglutinin were significantly correlated in HIV-infected subjects but not uninfected controls, indicating a novel characteristic of the CMI defect caused by HIV. The intrasubject variabilities of the CMV-specific CMI were similar in HIV-infected and -uninfected individuals. These data show that LPA and the inducible IFN-gamma production elicited by CMV whole lysates may be used to assess modifications of the immune competency of HIV-infected individuals.